Percent Complete
An estimate that indicates, as a percentage, how much of the work on an activity or WBS element has been finished.
Key Points
- Expresses progress as a percentage of work finished for an activity or WBS component.
- It is an estimate and should be based on objective measures (units installed, milestones achieved, tests passed) whenever possible.
- Common measurement methods include 0/100, 50/50, weighted milestones, and percent of physical units completed.
- Used for progress reporting and can feed Earned Value (e.g., EV = BAC x percent complete) when an appropriate method is defined.
Example
A WBS component requires installing 200 fixtures. If 120 are installed and verified, the percent complete is 60%. If the BAC for this component is $50,000, the earned value could be estimated as EV = 0.60 x 50,000 = $30,000.
PMP Example Question
Which statement best defines Percent Complete?
- The percentage of the budget spent to date.
- The percentage of planned time that has elapsed.
- An estimated percentage of work finished on an activity or WBS component.
- The percentage of scope approved by the sponsor.
Correct Answer: C - An estimated percentage of work finished on an activity or WBS component
Explanation: Percent Complete describes how much of the work is done, expressed as a percentage, not how much money or time has been used.
HKSM